A Bedtime Story
by AiLing
Summary: Five years after the fateful plane crash- a bedtime story is being told..


**So I have been watching and rewatching the promos of this week's finale- and I am bursting with anticipation of what is to come. I really do not want Lexie to die- I like her and Chyler Leigh, and she is supposed to get back with Mark! But based on the promos- she is the one most likely to go : ( Hence this oneshot…. From Meredith's POV**

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'Mommy please tell me another bedtime story' a sleepy voice calls out just as I am about to turn off the bedroom light. I sigh softly- I had a long day at work and was anticipating an even longer day tomorrow, so I needed to get as much rest as I can. However, I just simply can't say no to this sweet angelic voice pleading me- and I find myself giving in again to it as I have been for the past five years.

I walk back towards the bed where a little girl with wavy dark blonde hair who looks like a miniature version of me was now sitting up, her blue eyes looking at me in anticipation. How could I ever say no to that?

'Alright princess, but just one more story ok? Then you have to go to bed.'

'Yay!' Still wide awake ( she seems extremely hyper today) she grabs the pillow nearest to her and sits crosslegged in front of me.

'What story do you want to hear? The one daddy met mommy in the bar?'

'No mommy, I've heard that a million times already!'

'The one where daddy proposed to mommy in the elevator?'

'No- I heard that a million times too!'

'How about the one where daddy was shot and aunt Cristina had to operate on him?'

'I heard that a zillion times!' she said sticking her tongue out playfully.

' The one where you made mommy almost flunk her final professional exam?'

'Mommy!'

' Alright- I'll tell you a story- this is one you never heard before….it is so sad, but you have to hear it one day. It's about how you got your name..'

' My name?'

'Yes, your name- Caroline Grace Sheperd.'

She clapped her hands in delight.

* * *

' It was supposed to be a normal day, a short flight to another hospital in another state to save two conjoined twins. Me, daddy, aunt Cristina, aunt Lexie, uncle Mark and aunt Arizona were on the plane, when it suddenly crashed. Me, aunt Cristina and uncle Mark were okay. Your daddy had to take some time to regain his memory back. Your aunt Arizona was on a wheelchair for one year. But your aunt Lexie, she didn't make it that day. She died of very bad injuries and we couldn't save her. She was trapped under the plane and we couldn't remove her out. Your uncle Mark held her in his arms and told her he loved her. She smiled at him and then she closed her eyes and was gone forever. It was the same day that I found out that I was pregnant with you. I decided right away that you were a girl and that I would name you after her to honor her. I initially wanted to give you her first name Alexandra, but your uncle Alex kept on boasting that you were named after him. So your daddy suggested that we use her middle name, Caroline, instead.'

'Ooh….she must be looking down at us from heaven.'

'Yes, princess, she is watching you from heaven, and I'm sure she loves you even though she never met you. She never even knew you existed.'

'How was she like, mommy? Was she pretty?'

'Very pretty. Even prettier than mommy'

Her eyes widened. 'Oh, in that case she must be very very pretty!'

'She had long brown wavy hair. And brown eyes. Fair skin. And she has what you call a photographic memory. She can remember every single thing she reads. She was smart, beautiful, kind and caring.'

'So because I have her name will I become like her?'

'Of course you will princess' I said kissing the back of her head.

She seemed satisfied with the answer, and in a short minute later, she was fast asleep.

I stand there watching her sleep in awe. She looks a lot like me, but I can see some Lexie in her too, especially personality wise.

* * *

Suddenly without warning, a lone tear rolls down my cheeks as I'm transported back to that fateful day- the day I lost my sister, and almost lost my husband again.

The image of Lexie being trapped under the plane, her eyes pleading silently for help, the blood oozing out from her mouth, would haunt me forever. Me, Cristina and Mark, as the three of us were the least hurt ones, tried with all our might, using all the limited resources we had, to free her, but to no avail. We felt so helpless as we watched her slowly fade away into unconsciousness, and there was nothing we could do about it. Transmission was horrible, we couldn't contact anyone, there was no hope for rescue. Poor Mark could only hold her in his arms and tell her again and again how much he loved her and that he was sorry for causing her so much hurt and pain. She seemed satisfied with his speech, because right after he declared his loved for her, she closed her eyes with a peaceful smile and never reopened them. Mark's howls of anguish then could be heard throughout the jungle. That was five years ago, but it still seemed like yesterday. Physically, Mark has moved on, recovered from his injuries, married Julia and had two kids together. However, I can still see that he is empty inside, and it saddens me to see him this way.

I too, still blame myself until this moment, for not being there for her when she needed me, for not always being available for her, and for brushing her off most of the time when she was still alive. Now that she is gone, I can't take back all of that.

* * *

Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around my waist from behind, jerking me out from my inner thoughts.

I smile, I know who those arms belong to without even needing to turn behind.

'I was thinking about that day again' I whisper softly. 'And I…I just told her.'

'What?' his whisper was suddenly harsh. 'This is not the type of story you tell a five year old…'

I walk out of the room, closing the door slowly, with my husband trailing me from behind. I do not want to make a scene in front of our daughter.

We stand in the hallway, facing each other.

'Derek, Carrie deserves to know how and where she got her name from. She needs to know about the person she is named after. Don't you think?'

He remains silent, which usually means that he agrees with me.

' I hope she grows up to be like her.' He says softly. I know that although he wouldn't admit it, he had quite a soft spot for Lexie over the years- he became like her older brother and teacher, would enlist her in all his neurosurgery cases, and he was very upset too when she died.

' She will' I smile at him. ' How are Zola and Christopher doing?'

' Chris – out like a log as usual once I left his room' Derek smiles. Our two year old son is practically a clone of him and his pride and joy.

'And Zola fell asleep halfway during my hundredth rendition of Cinderella to her.' He laughed.

'Good – so now that the children are settled- may I suggest some 'us' time? I wink at him as I wrap my arms around his shoulder.

'Why, of course!' he laughs as he lifts me up and carries me back towards our bedroom, my giggles echoing throughout the large house.

Even though I had lost my sister, but I still have so much to be thankful about.

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**I hope you like it! Please do read and review, comments really make my day and I appreciate them a lot : )**


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